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Mickey's Christmas Carol

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Mickey's Christmas Carol
File:The-rescuers-mickeys-christmas-carol.jpg
Original theatrical poster w/The Rescuers
Directed byBurny Mattinson
Produced byBurny Mattinson
Animation byDale Baer
David Block
Randy Cartwright
Ed Gombert
Glen Keane
Kathy Zielinski
Color processTechnicolor
Production
company
Distributed byBuena Vista Distribution
Running time
24 min.

Mickey's Christmas Carol is a twenty-four minute animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and originally released in the United Kingdom on October 20, 1983 by Buena Vista Distribution[1]. The film was released in the United States on December 16, 1983 as an accompaniment to a re-release of The Rescuers.

It is an adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, featuring Scrooge McDuck as his namesake and inspiration Ebenezer Scrooge and Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit. This film was based on a 1972 audio musical entitled Disney's A Christmas Carol.[2]

Mickey's Christmas Carol was the first new Mickey Mouse cartoon made in 30 years after The Simple Things. It was also broadcast on TV on NBC from 1984-1990, CBS from 1991-1998, and ABC in 2000 and 2003. On December 10, 2008, it was shown on ABC Family (along with Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too) as part of their "25 Days of Christmas", but with several abrupt edits.

The short is also featured, without its opening credits, in the direct-to-home release, Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse. It is also available on the ninth volume of the Walt Disney Classic Cartoon Favorites DVD collection, as well as in the Walt Disney Treasures set Mickey Mouse in Living Color - Volume 2; however, the latter is the only DVD release to retain the film's widescreen aspect ratio.

Synopsis

While all of Victorian England is in the merry spirit of Christmas, along with collecting for the poor, all on the mind of Ebenezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck, voiced for the first time by Alan Young) is all his money he makes in the town counting house and making more of it for himself (apparently, Scrooge charges people 80% interest, compounded daily). While Scrooge's selfish and greedy thoughts cascade in his head, Bob Cratchit (Mickey Mouse, voiced for the first time by Wayne Allwine) continues to work long and hard for him, though he is overworked and underpaid (a mere two shillings and a ha' penny a day), and collectors Ratty and Mole (voiced by Hal Smith and Will Ryan respectively, from the "Wind in the Willows" segment of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad), along with other beggars on the streets, are kindly asking of a simple donation to the poor. Scrooge insists however, that he should not make a donation as he tries to convince them that if he does, the poor won't be poor anymore and they will be out of work.

Even his cheery nephew Fred (Donald Duck, voiced for the final time by Clarence Nash, making Donald the only character in the film voiced by his original actor) invites him for a wonderful holiday feast (which includes plump goose with chestnut dressing, candied fruits, and cinnamon cake with lemon sauce), but Scrooge rejects the invitation. However, the night before Christmas, the ghost of Jacob Marley (Goofy, voiced by Hal Smith), Scrooge's once-greedy-and-cruel counting house partner, enters Scrooge's home. At first, Marley acts like Goofy; when Scrooge commends him for being a ruthless businessman, Marley chuckles and says "Yup!", but then recalls his sinfulness and tells Scrooge he is doomed to wear heavy chains for eternity ("maybe even longer") as punishment for the way he treated people when he was alive. Marley warns Scrooge that if his greedy and selfish behavior continues, he will also be forced to carry heavy chains for all eternity when he dies.

Horror-stricken, Scrooge pleads him for assistance, and he learns from the ghost that three spirits would visit him later that night and he must do everything they say, or his chains would be heavier than Jacob's. At the end, as Marley is still Goofy, he prevents himself from tripping on Scrooge's cane, which is on the floor, but falls down the stairs after going on a busted step and lets out his signature Goofy holler. Scrooge, however, thinks it was only imagination and that no spirits will come, and retires for the night.

That night, while Scrooge is asleep, the Ghost of Christmas Past (Jiminy Cricket, voiced by Eddie Carroll, for the first time) arrives in Scrooge's bedroom and takes him back in time to his early adult years working as a clerk for Mr. Fezziwig (Mr. Toad), when he enjoyed Christmas, had many friends, and fell in love with a girl named Isabelle (Daisy Duck, voiced by Patricia Parris for the first time). However, after ten years, Scrooge had become more caring towards his money than Isabelle. When she asks if he was still willing to marry her after waiting for many years in a honeymoon cottage, Scrooge's greed breaks her heart and her relationship with him with, "Your last payment on the honeymoon cottage was an hour late! I'm foreclosing the mortgage!" Shortly after, Jiminy Cricket takes Scrooge home, leaving him feeling dreadful for his actions after saying "Remember, Scrooge, you fashioned these memories yourself".

Not long after the first visit, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Willie the Giant, voiced by Will Ryan, for the first time) pulls Scrooge in his hand. He arrives with wonderful things to eat, like Turkey, Mince Pies, and Suckling Pigs, (but cannot pronounce pistachioes properly), which Willie states is the food of generosity. Willie visits Scrooge to show him all the misery Scrooge has caused. That is, Scrooge sees that Bob and his family are living in poverty, and that Bob's young son, Tiny Tim, voiced by Dick Billingsley, is ill and that if this hapless life of the Cratchit family does not change, Willie sees an empty chair and a crutch without an owner. However, just when Scrooge is desperate to know the truth, the Ghost of Christmas Present leaves him alone, and Cratchit's house vanishes.

Within seconds, however, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come appears and takes Scrooge to a cemetery, revealing that Tiny Tim has died. Scrooge then realizes he can no longer treat others around him with a heartless disposition. Along with Tim's death, the ghost reveals two weasels discussing how the person they are burying had no one at his funeral. When Scrooge inquires about the identity of the person, the ghost proceeds to light a cigar and unhood himself, both revealing himself to be Black Pete (voiced by Will Ryan), and the name on the tombstone. Pete says "Why, yours, Ebenezer. The richest man in the cemetery!" With that, he pushes Scrooge into the grave, laughing cruelly as he watches Scrooge struggling to climb out of the grave and escape what appears to be the fires of Hell from within his coffin. The root Scrooge is climbing on finally snaps and Scrooge falls into the grave, shouting his repentance.

The next thing he knows, he's back in his house, opens the windows and sees that it is Christmas morning, believing the spirits have given him another chance. He hugs a pigeon that was at the window, gets dressed (with his pajamas underneath), but says "I can't go out looking like this!", and dons his cane and top hat. Ebenezer cheerfully goes about town generously donating money to the collectors for the poor (100 gold sovereigns to be exact after twice thinking what he just donated was not enough), and greeting all with a friendly disposition, as well as telling Fred that he will go to his Christmas dinner after all.

At the end of the film, Scrooge visits the Cratchit family. At first, he tries to play a ninny on Bob, pretending that he is still gruff, having brought a large sack which he pretends to be filled with laundry, and tells Bob Cratchit that there will be extra work and "no more of this ½ day off nonsense". But the sack is revealed to be filled instead with toys, which he offers for Bob's children. Scrooge gives Bob a raise and makes him his partner in the counting house. The entire Cratchit family is overjoyed. The film ends with the line "God bless us, everyone!" (the famous quote from Tiny Tim)

Characters and roles

Opening titles for Mickey's Christmas Carol in sepia tone with Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit. It should be noted that this was the last piece of animation to feature full opening credits and end with "The End".

Extra characters

Many Disney characters from past films can be seen in small, non-speaking roles. For instance, the Three Little Pigs can be seen singing carols in the beginning of the film. Cyril Proudbottom, who was J. Thaddeus Toad's horse, is owned by Donald Duck in the film.

Cast

Awards and nominations

Mickey's Christmas Carol was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Animated Short Subject of 1983.

Film credits

Other references

A clip of this film in Swedish was shown on Donald Duck's 50th Birthday to illustrate Donald's international appeal.

See also

References

  1. ^ This was the last theatrical release to be distributed under the Buena Vista label. Future releases would be under the Walt Disney Pictures/Productions label.
  2. ^ Most of the cast remained unchanged; however, in the audio version, Merlin (from The Sword in the Stone) the Blue Fairy (from Pinocchio) and the Queen (from Snow White, in her hag guise) portrayed the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Future, respectively (the Present Ghost, like in the film version, was portrayed by Willie the Giant).
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